Customer Reviews

Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 PCI-E x1 Dual TV Tuner

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Wow, I really dont know if I should give this product a one star or five star. I'll settle for a three for the pain it caused me.

First, my system: Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz, 4GB DDR2RAM, 256MB ATI graphics card w/HDMI out, 640GB HDD, Vista Home Premium 32bit. I am located in the mountains of SoCal, where OTA doesnt quite work, and so ClearQAM from TimeWarner is my only option.

Let me start off by saying if you are looking for a dual-tuner for digital/analog viewing, this is one of your best choices. However, expect to spend a night or two of surfing forums, updating drivers, installing hotfixes, etc... The problem is that Vista Media Center (initially) doesnt recognize the ClearQAM tuner, only the analog tuners. How to fix this? Well, my 8 hours of pain can be your simple gain.
Disclaimer: you will be adding a value to Vista's registry if you follow this review, so anything you do is on you alone!

1) If you've been trying to get the tuner to work, wipe all the tuner's drivers off utilizing the utility on the CD (select total and the checkbox below it) and restart Vista.
2) Update Windows.
3) Install the HVR-2250 and the BETA drivers from Hauppauge's USA website.
4) Install TV Pack 2008 (search online for it)
5) Install PC Ready Play (from MS download site)
6) Install the 2 hotfixes (KB951585 and KB950754 from MS download site)
7) Update Windows. (there will be a cumulative update for TV pack)
8) Open the registry (run/regedit)
9) Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\hcw89
10) Add a new Folder (key) and name it: Parameters
11) Add a new DWORD to that and name it: AllowQAM_PowerToy
12) Make that value for the new string: 1
13) *Repeat 10-12 for: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\hcwPrx89
14) Reboot Vista
15) You should be good to go. When in Media Center, the automated set-up might still tell you that it found two analog tuners, which you then select manual set-up and go through the steps. You should see a choice for ClearQAM!

*Notes: the hcwPrx89 folder did not exist in my registry, so I had to create the folder and then add the DWORD.

For $130, I would expect Hauppauge to have either better drivers or better support. Scouring the forums will result in similar fixes like I describe above. I guess something similar to this works for Windows 7.

Oh, the good: it works like it's supposed to (after forementioned).
Hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!

Ok, I ordered the Hauppauge 1213 WinTV 2250 on Amazon. The device arrived promptly and the price wasn't all that bad. However, this was to the full extent of my pleasant experience with the product.

The Receiver/Blaster would not work even after installing new drivers from the manufacturer's website. I called tech support (which, by the way, is available M-F 9 to 6PM ET only) simply to determine that the supplied cable was defective. The tech representative-a fella named Brice Junior-assured me that he would send out a new cable and I should be up and running in a 3 or 4 days.

Seven days came and passed. I received no cable. I called back tech support and stumbled on Brice Junior again. Except this time, he had no idea who I was and had no recollection of his promise to ship me a replacement cable.

So we went through the same diagnostics again-as if this time the repair fairy had come to my house and repaired the cable. Well, again the WinTV did not work. Then, Brice assured me, again, with absolute conviction that he would send a new cable and usb adapter for the device as soon as he got off the phone with me. Another two weeks went by, and...a BIG nothing arrived.

As I did some research on the matter on the Internet, I begin to uncover that the company engages in a policy of systematic lies to its customers to avoid honoring its obligations under its warranties. The technic is simple. They give the customer a round-around for a few weeks at which time it's too late to return the device to the store of purchase. And, since they are out reach, you, the unhappy customer, chase after them until you get tired and give up.

Meanwhile, Brice Junior, their scum tech support, is happily doing the company's bidding by lying to customers.

So in conclusion, buy the company's products only if you are sure (a) you can install them on your own, and (b) you can return them immediate if something is wrong them. Ignore the promise of the 2-year warranty that you read on the box. It is NON-EXISTENT.

I had 2 requirments for a TV Tuner Card. It had to be half-height and it had to be a dual tuner (so I can record one show and watch another). This card meets the bill. So far it has worked great. Sometimes when I tune to a channel in Windows Media Center the screen is blue and I have to change channels and then go back for it to appear. I don't know if this is because of the tuner or because of something else. Other than that I really haven't had any problems. Possibly a driver update will fix that problem.

This product works perfectly with Snap Stream Beyond TV 4. [.........]

I have 2 digital tuners and 2 analog tuners on my pc. This records multiple inputs and automatically downloads the cable TV and local TV program guide. The picture is great. The software takes some time to tweek to your inputs and program guide. You must be willing to spend some time.

This is the crown jewel in my HTPC project. It works perfectly with Windows 7 64-bit & Windows Media Center. I have basic cable with several standard definition channels, as well as several HD channels (the big networks/local channels). The dual hybrid tuners means that I can record any channel while watching any other channel without having to worry whether it's HD or not. I was surprised that all 4 tuners work off of the same coax cable. The other input is for the radio receiver. I thought I was going to have to go buy a cable splitter to take advantage of both tuners, but this is not the case.

I installed the driver only, Windows Media Center works so well on Windows 7 that there's no need to mess with the included WinTV, or any other software.

I am using this with a Window 7 x64 media center. It is a solid card under windows 7. I am using Comcast so the number of clear channels is somewhat limited. (broadcast and the music channels) it gives a great picture for the broadcasts in HD. We tried to use OTA with another card but due to our location we don't have a good shot at the DC stations that are close but on the other side of a mountain and we are too far from the stations in the other direction.

The hardest part is the lack of schedule information that is available automaticaly. I had to look at the channels and figure out what was playing then manually tell it what channel it was. After that it worked like a charm. I have updated all of my schedules so that they prefer HD but will fall back to SD if they have to. As I still have my older dual tuner card in the machine it has really opened up the options because in the past we ran into watching conflicts with only 2 tuners. This happened alot during the early part of the seasons due to new shows all being on at the same time. I don't expect that we will have this issue in the future other than if there are 3 hd shows that we want to get but the upside is that we will get 2 shows in HD and the 3rd will be in SD and while that isn't the best atleast we won't miss it all together.

The picture quality is outstanding for the HD content and the SD stuff is the same as with my old tuner so I haven't noticed any difference in the recordings.

I know that people have had problems with it under Vista but with Windows 7 it has been rock solid. It took 5 minutes to install it and the longest wait was in Media Center letting it scan for all the new channels.

We didn't use the included remote because I already had a remote from the old card and just continued to use it. I did notice that the new remote did not have all the buttons that my old one had that gave direct access to the various media areas such as My Music, My Videos, My Pictures... though it may just have moved them around and I didn't understand the new pictures on the keys. But as the tv has to be family friendly I didn't want to swap it out or my wife would have vetoed.

I've been a "tv-on-the-computer" guy for many years, though the majority of my usage has been with ATI and Hauppauge hardware. There are other vendors out there who may produce decent quality hardware, but to date I have little personal knowledge of them, though I'm currently looking carefully at a Ceton device...

I have one of these in my main office computer, and another in the "home theater PC" in my living room. I have the full "media center" kit (with the expanded I/O backplate for additional inputs and with the remote control, though in neither case am I using the remote provided).

For my HTPC, I have a Zalman case, and generally use the Zalman-provided remote, and for my main computer, I seldom use a remote at all, but when I do, I use my old (but still very nice ATI remote wonder, with software "plugin" upgrades to keep it up to date.

My main computer is running WInXP, without Media Center, so I use the Hauppauge software pretty much exclusively there. For my HTPC, which runs Win7, I primarily use Media Center.

Also, it's worth pointing out that I'm on Time Warner, in Austin TX.

The two systems work identically, from a functional standpoint. Both identify all the cable and FM signals equally well (yes, I have external FM antennae attached, and a good antenna makes a big difference for your ability to pick up FM stations). Both identify all conventional cable and "clear QAM" (unencrypted digital cable) signals just fine. Both identify (but cannot read) the encrypted QAM signals, of course... which is why, despite being happy with these overall, I'm considering upgrading to a CETON card (which can include a "Cablecard" decryption device, supplied by your local cable provider).

It pulls in both conventional cable signals, digital (non-HD) cable signals, and HD digital cable signals equally well. I've experimented with over-the-air digital signals, both HD and standard, and these work fine as well, though you can't have both over-the-air and cable simultaneously (you can use a "switchbox" if you wish, but this seems like more trouble than it's worth).

So, with the exception that you can't get any encrypted signals (and most of what's on digital cable is encrypted, not just the "pay-channels"), I have no issues with this package.

I LOVE the wide range of inputs on the back... this card is really ideal for someone doing home audio-video work.

The provided software, WinTV 7, is perfectly serviceable, but is not without it problems, however. For example, I have had occasional "Lockups" with this software, requiring me to kill the program and restart. Some channels will cause this, so I'm presuming that this is due to the software thinking something is "watchable" when it's really a sub-channel data signal or the like?

WinTV does a good job of identifying and sorting watchable (or listenable in the case of FM) stations, but the ability to edit this list is, while entirely possible, pretty awkward and tedious. It would be REALLY nice if they were to allow you to, within the software, connect to TitanTV or the like and identify what every channel is, according to your cable provider. As it is, I have to go through and do that manually, which is more than a little bit annoying.

Meanwhile, the integration with Media Center is really pretty much complete, and the Media Center "cable guide" is perfectly integrated with this, so the problem with WinTV 7 is a non-issue with Media Center..

You can record very easily, using the input ports on the back of the device (or the expansion I/O plate). I've used this to transfer quite a few of my old VHS tapes into digital form. WinTV 7 has the ability to record, and does a pretty nice job, but the recording is in "transport stream" format, and while the WinTV 7 software will convert to MPEG if you ask it to, the conversion is pretty limited in terms of control. So, I had to find third-party software to allow me the control I wanted over my recordings. I'd record a TS file, then convert it to DVD-quality MPEG, which I'd then be able to edit with pretty much any video editing package out there (good luck finding something at the consumer level that does a good job editing transport stream files!)

I have not had any luck using this as a capture device using other software. I have the Sony video editing suite, and I've never been able to get Sony to recognize this device. I blame Sony for that, however... not Hauppauge. Sony's set up to look for firewire-attached video cameras, not for this sort of capture device, it seems.

As you can tell, complaints aside, this is my favorite tuner at this point, and I highly recommend it. If it could pick up encrypted signals, it would be perfect. Unfortunately, there is no device out there with this level of functionality which also has cablecard (decryption) capabilities. The Ceton tuner card is very nice as a tuner, but lacks the inputs and the FM functionality, which is less than ideal for my needs... hence my choice (so far) to stick with these cards, even though they limit my ability to pick up my encrypted and pay-channel broadcasts. If a card with this level of features, and also with cablecard support, existed, I'd buy that in an instant.

FYI, "cablecard" is a technology, mandated for use by the FCC, which permits you to lease a card from your cable company (at a cost of just a couple of dollars a month) which allows you to use your own hardware, including a PC-tuner, to get signals which otherwise you could only get with a leased "digital cable converter box." In other words, put a cable-company-owned "cablecard" into the back of your cable-card-compatible device, and your computer or TIVO or whatever has full access to everything you're entitled to through a company-supplied cable box.

This means that you can lose the cable box entirely, and do everything through your "Home theater PC."

Cablecard technology, for PC tuners, is still pretty rare... the CETON card is the only one I know of right now, and while it's pretty nice as a tuner, as I said, it lacks other features (capture-card and FM tuner card) features I want and use. So, I'm holding off for the moment, and keeping my Hauuppauge 2250 cards in both installations.

With digital network broadcasts over the air, and with more and more cable shows being available through the Internet, I've contemplated ditching cable for some time and using my Windows 7 HTPC as my all-in-one media box. With my latest cable bill increase, I decided to bite the bullet and buy this tuner card to see if it will be a suitable alternative to the HD-DVR supplied by FiOS TV.

I couldn't be happier with the results. The card installed seamlessly on my Windows 7 64-bit machine, and Windows Media Center walked me through the setup process. I'm using a $35 antenna to pick up local high-def and standard-def broadcasts, and am able to get all of the major networks, plus some additional channels that I never knew existed and some network channels from cities 50 miles away (I hear a rooftop antenna can pick up broadcasts from even farther). The picture is great, and Windows Media Center is a user-friendly interface for watching and recording live TV. Its built-in Internet TV integration is great, too. Combined with my browser and iTunes, I have instant access to my entire media library.

The best part: No monthly fees!

Goodbye cable.

Great product. I wanted this card to watch Over the air HDTV signals in Toronto, ON.

Pros: Took out of the box, installed driver, told Vista that I'm in Niagara Falls NY and voila, Media Center recognized and started using both tuners to record HD broadcasts. HD video is nice and flawless. Didn't think it was going to be so easy to have a nice HD PVR, even wife likes it. Remote Control is a big plus as according to Panasonic, my TV RC can 'mimic' windows vista Media Center RC but it never worked with the existing IR of my PC (Antec Fusion Black). MC remote provided with this card works flawlessly with the remote receiver of the chassis, no need to use the IR receiver provided with the card.

Cons: Don't know if it's a con, but according to my TV set signal meter, it received ~80% of signal strength of the available OTA channels. When installed, the card didn't bring any channels at all. Then I bought a cheap Nexxtech Video signal amplifier (around 27 dollars) that adds +14db and solved that problem (all channels are now 100%, receiving a couple more now)

For Canadian customers (at least in Toronto) maybe this would help. When using Vista Media Center I couldn't bring the guide for OTA Canadian stations after telling MC to use Canada's settings, but after entering the closest US city postal code (in my case, Niagara Falls, NY) MC was now able to configure the card (analog and digital) and bring all my local Canadian channel lineup (Global, CBC, CTV, CHCH, OMNI, etc with all the guide's features.

Final thought: I had no idea how useful is to have 2 HD Digital Tuners. This card wasn't really my first option, I was considering other 'dual' tuner cards that actually were digital + analog, not 2 digital at the same time. Then I decided for this one. In one week I already had to either record 2 HD programs at the same time, or wanted to watch one HD channel while recording kept another HD one. This is the only card that could've accomplished this.

I'm very happy with this card.

My purpose in buying this device was to eliminate my cable TV and save some money. I installed the unit into my motherboard, inserted the install disk, but only installed what I wanted (drivers and such). I opted to use Windows Media Center on Windows 7. The combination of the Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 PCI-E x1 Dual TV Tuner and WMC is pretty slick. I stream the over the air channels through 2 XBOXes. I've got one in the family room and one in the basement man-cave. The picture quality is crisper than the Comcast HD. Prior to installation I had concerns about how user friendly the whole setup would be. My wife and kids (9 and 6) have no difficulty navigating the WMC via XBOX. I can do pretty much anything I was doing with my Comcast DVR (minus all the on demand stuff). I'm very glad I made the switch and now I'm saving $85 a month. After a month the device has almost already paid for itself.